Amidst the shock of "Nigerian Youths are lazy" statement, I recall an article I wrote concerning some of the Problems Nigerian youth encounter and I quickly make a connection..


I'm sure you have heard of African Time, African Jungle and the African Desert. What about the [/i]African Mentality?

Everything African is unique.
In as much as I would have loved not to write about this, it is evident that thinking about my race should be so much more of a personal concern to me as any other topic. I love myself and I'm very proud to be a black man; but then, there is this proposition I heard people talk about and I wish to talk about it too. It's popularly known as [i]"African Mentality".

It's very funny to me when i see a mad man call another mad man a mad man; in fact, one need to be frank with the truth when it comes to the topic "African Mentality" because It has become an assertive statement on the lips of the gongs, and the black man himself can't help but begin to accept this status.

There are 3 African Mentalities imprinted in the Gene of most Africans, I'm not quite sure if the black man himself is conscious of this, but the trait still stand and evident in most people I've met; including myself.



(1) The Bigmanism mentality (Big - man - ism)

Seen in the history, stories and movies. The Black society so much celebrate and respect the opulent ones while totally disregarding the destitute. To me this is somehow evident in all race; at least to some extent, and I won't put too much importance on it's existence in Africa, but the degree to which respect is given to the opulent in Africa is unreasonable.

In the South West Nigeria where I come from, a common saying goes thus "Owo lole she ongbogbo" , "Olowo n soro talika ni o n ni idea" which translate to mean, " Money does all" , "The opinion of the poor doesn't count where the rich speaks" which also mean " No idea is worth a million dollar" or " Money is the idea" or "Idea is obsolete where money exist". Well, while it's not my job to trace the etymology of such phrase, it is my job to notice the effects such belief may have on my life and my environment.
Even though it is only a natural phenomenal for the wealthy to often show off their wealth to oppress the destitue, it is also a survival instinct to the destitue to join the clique of oppressors if he has just been upgraded from an average citizen to a high class.

In Nigeria where I come from, people immediately change their lifestyle to that of a Bourgeois, right from the way they talk to the way they relate with others just as soon as the millions hit their account. Isn't that amazing?

(2) The making it before anyone else mentality.

My father would say "All the people I see around me seems to be an athlete" Because everyone is running to nowhere.

Instead of trying to be better than himself, the competitive spirit of the black man make him feel he need to be successful before his brother. Maybe it's a biological survival instinct to avoid been oppressed by his brothers Bigmanism mentality, maybe not.

This way of thinking is connected to so many social crimes that are evident in the African society today. Crimes such as Internet fraud ( which is common amongst the young ones), Mammon ritualist, Political Gullibility e.t.c it all look like Money drives the Ego and the Ego drive the community.

(3) The international Mentality

This is the most alarming of them all. Everyday thousands of Africans are dieing to travel abroad; take me literally, they died just to be in another man's land, searching for lost fortune and greener pastures.

Mostly youths, embark on this journey to escape the economic hardships of their domiciliary and in the process are later been faced by the dead end around the Libyan soil and deep down the Mediterranean Sea. The cause/problem may be traced to poor leadership structure, political indecency, insurgence e.t.c.

However, No one is willing to take control of the situation. Procurement of solutions could be done through the introduction of several schemes targeting the appraisal of human resources using channels such as Skill Acquisition and Youth Empowerment programs, zero interest loans, working educational and housing systems e.t.c
The main reason why the Government has been unable to curb the International mentality movement is quite unclear, but it is most likely they have also been infected with the factors of this mentality themselves.

While some don't see the Sahara desert or the Mediterranean sea as an escape root, it is still in the desire of every 8 in 10 Africans to travel out of their country either to study, Work or just play around.

It is well known that the Jewish money don't go out of the Jew community unless it's been used by 12 other Jewish. It's not the same in Africa, the wealthy or Average Nigerian prefers to purchase foreign items than a locally developed one, thinking he is getting the best for himself. All this still boils down to the international Mentality.


I am concerned because I feel the road to self development and successful life as an African lies in the cleansing of ones mind from this 3 factors. While I am not totally condemning the mentalities, I am only trying to arrange the broken mirrors and let people see a complete picture of who we really are.

"It is eating up the spirit of my race, it is knocking down the love for myself"

~Oyatomi Timi

No wonder Lucky Dube cried in his song Born to Suffer " You gotta watch out my son if your father doesn't care for ya, You gotta watch out my son if your mother doesn't care for ya, kwashiorkor is there and it's going to attack ya".

The kwashiorkor of Bigmanism, Arrogantism and Internationalism.

Original Source:http://www.theysg.com/2018/04/3-african-mentality-you-need-to-get-rid.html?m=1

Lalasticlala

ok